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I prefer the straight six, the powerful engine introduced by American Motors Corp. in 1987, the same year AMC was bought by Chrysler Corp.

Today, both Chrysler and AMC are history, consumed in the global consolidation of the auto industry. But the 4-liter straight six — with some improvements for emissions control and fuel economy — survives as the workhorse of the Jeep line, now owned by the newly formed DaimlerChrysler AG.

My love for that engine was rekindled during two weeks in the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo (pictured above) and Limited, which are longer, wider, rounder versions of their former selves.

The Laredo six is designed to produce 195 horsepower at 4,600 rpm. The Limited is equipped with DaimlerChrysler’s new 4.7-liter V-8, designed to produce 235 horsepower at 4,800 rpm.

Both are midsize, luxury sport-utility models outfitted with plush leather, thick carpets and polished woodgrain — not exactly sensible accouterment for vehicles supposedly designed to be used in the rough.

But, hey, this is America, where definitions of “roughing it” are as varied as definitions of sex. Some folks need big engines and leather to get through their daily commutes.

Anyway, it occurred to me that the Limited V-8, though smooth and powerful, makes little sense in Beltway traffic jams — and even less sense in mall parking lots, which is where I spent most of my time.

On roads free of heavy traffic, the Limited V-8 was galloping good fun, but no more so than the six, which consumed less fuel and felt more balanced.

That is, the Laredo with its straight six weighs 3,916 pounds, compared with 4,050 pounds for the Limited with the V-8. All of that extra 134 pounds seems concentrated in the Limited’s front end, giving it a heavy, hard-to-handle feeling.

But the Laredo feels perfect, tight, precise. And it does just fine in heavy lifting, in both the hauling and pulling categories. My test model was equipped to pull a trailer weighing up to 2,000 pounds, the same as the tested Limited V-8. In terms of applied muscle, the difference seems to be this: The Laredo straight six can be optioned out to pull 5,000 pounds, compared with an optional trailering ability of 6,500 pounds for the Limited V-8.

So if you’re going to pull a yacht, get the Limited. If you plan on pulling little or nothing, get the Laredo. In either case, you will wind up with a premium mid-size sport-ute, capable of handling off-road and on-road chores.

And for those of you who live in areas where there is little snow, you might want to consider this: The Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and Limited are available in two-wheel drive as well as four-wheel drive.

Four-wheel drive is more expensive both in terms of purchase and operation. If you have no practical need for it, don’t get it. If you simply want to feel macho, buy a two-wheel-drive version and a four-wheel-drive decal. Your neighbors will never know the difference.

1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo & Limited

Complaints: Both the Laredo and Limited are over-plushed. It is almost laughable that these vehicles are the descendants of the “general purpose” military vehicles that helped to win World War II. I mean, jeez! I can understand automatic transmissions and power steering, even power windows and power seats. But deep-pile carpeting, supple leather, polished woodgrain, CD players, fancy wheels — to go off-road? Who’s kidding whom?

Praise: I love deep-pile carpeting, power everything, CD players, fancy wheels, supple leather seats. If I owned either one of these Grand Cherokee models, I would have no trouble rationalizing the installation of those unabashedly hedonistic items in what essentially is a truck.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Heavy front-end feel is a bit disconcerting in the Limited V-8, especially during braking, when the vehicle tends to dip forward. No such problems in the Laredo straight six. Both vehicles can move like bats out o f he ll. But keep in mind that these are trucks with higher centers of gravity than cars, which means that you should not try speeding into curves or around corners in these models.

Brakes include power four-wheel discs, with vented discs and dual-piston sliding calipers up front, and solid discs with single-piston calipers in the rear.

Head-turning quotient: Excellent restyling of a classic Jeep design. The Grand Cherokee Laredo and Limited are among the most attractive sport-utility models available.

Safety: Anyone riding in any sport-utility vehicle without wearing a seat belt should be arrested and stripped of driving privileges.

Sound system: Eight-speaker AM-FM stereo radio and cassette with CD players in both models. Infinity-brand systems. Excellent.

Price: Base price on the four-wheel-drive Laredo straight six is $27,770. Dealer invoice on that model is $25,168. Base price on the Limited is $33,995, with a dealer invoice of $30,646. Add a destination charge of $525 for both models in all states except Hawaii, where the charge goes to $575.

Purse-strings note: Compare with Ford Explorer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Trooper, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner, Mitsubishi Montero.